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“I’ that you don’t remember me,” he said His voice was sad and sweet both

“Father Cortez,” she said “I reolf withhis feet back froht his forehead closer to theo You wouldn’t have been more than… what? Seven?”

“I’ve seen you in the newsfeeds since”

“Ah,” he said His eyes focused on nothing “That feels like it was a long ti with the captain He said he’s been trying to convince you to join us, only he hasn’t haddown the rows of stalls She recognized them both as Ashford’s allies Cortez didn’t take notice of them at all

“No, he hasn’t,” she said And then, “He lies a lot”

Cortez’s eyebrows rose

“Lies?”

“He said he could get et back home, he could take me to Ceres and put me under OPA protection Only he can’t do that”

Cortez took a long breath and let it out again “No No, he can’t May I be honest with you?”

“I don’t see that I’m in a position to stop you,” Clarissa said

“I think that you and I have a great deal in common You have blood on your hands The blood of innocents”

She tried to sneer, tried to retreat into a dis exposed and adolescent Cortez went on as if he hadn’t noticed Maybe he hadn’t

“I was… instruate The co all three divisions of huether” Bitterness darkened the words, but then he s as wounded in hilory is an occupational hazard for men in my profession It’s one I’ve battled with limited success, I’,” Clarissa said, unsure whether she was confessing a cri Cortez an out

“Yes And I led all the others in after him And so when they died, it was because I had blinded thehterhouse I thought I was putting my faith in providence, but…”

Tears filled his eyes, and his expression went empty

“Father?” she said

“When I was a child,” Cortez said, “my cousin found a dead man The body was in an arroyo out behind our land She dared o and look at it I was desperately afraid, but I went and I held h and I pretended that I wasn’t in order not to be When the medics arrived, we found out the ic fevers They put me on prophylactic antivirals for the rest of the suht I was puttingreat many people to die”

“It’s not your fault”